Bleasdale Ltd, of 23, Colliergate, York, Wholesale Druggists and Manufacturing Chemists.
Bleasdales made and sold emulsions, oils, syrups, and a wide range of other pharmaceutical preparations.
1780 Butterfield and Clarke, manufacturing chemists in York was established by John Dales
1838 James Moore Butterfield had succeeded to the business and was then joined by Joseph Clarke, trading as Butterfield & Clarke
1856 on the death of Butterfield, William Bleasdale bought an interest in the firm
1860 Bleasdale was joined by William Henry Bell
Later joined by Richard B. Tollinton.
The firm was known as Clarke, Bleasdale, Bell and Tollinton until 1878 by which time Bleasdale was the sole remaining partner.
1888 William Bleasdale died and his executors carried on for a short time.
1894 The firm was reconstituted as Bleasdales Ltd at a nominal capital of £50,000, with Arthur Humphr(e)ys as managing director and several other chemists on the board.
1948 After the advent of the National Health Service, the firm's manufacturing role drastically reduced; the firm continued to operate as a wholesale business.
1982 The firm resolved not to re-register as a public company and moved from Colliergate to a warehouse at Birch Park. Soon after this, 2 non-pharmaceutical toiletries shops were closed, having incurred substantial losses
1986 cost reduction continued; sales had increased despite "fierce competition".
See Also
Sources of Information
- Archives of the British chemical industry, 1750-1914: a handlist. By Peter J. T. Morris and Colin A. Russell. Edited by John Graham Smith. 1988.